Amorphous product and process of making same



Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED, STATES CARLETON ELLIS. OF MONTCLAIR, ,NEW JERSEY,

AMORPHOUS PRODUCT AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

1Y0 Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARLETON ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in .the county of Essex and 5 State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amorhous Products and Processes of Making ame, of Which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to produce an amorphous or colloidal solid material not affected by cold or hot water, substantially infusible or having a very high softening point and being transparent, translucent or opaque as desired; which material at one stage of treatment may be molded or shaped into useful articles such as buttons, combs, brush handles and other toilet articles, umbrella handles, beads, pipe stems and bowls, cigarette and cigar holders, ink Wells, tortoise shell imitations and the like and various other products which are required to be hard and strong, not readily inflammable and not turned white, stained or spotted on contact with water, etc.

The amorphous product may be made.

from a ketone such as acetone and an aldehyde, particularly formaldehyde, by reacting in the presence of an alkali to produce successively, the following:

A. A water soluble syrupy substance.

B. ,An amorphous fusible substance prac- '-tieal1y insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol, also soluble in strong acid to'some extent as for .example concentrated hydrochloric acid or syrupy phosphoric acid.

C. A product insoluble in alcohol although sometimes partially soluble in a mixture of alcohol and benzol, and which is more or less fusible.-

D. A product insoluble in all common solvents but still softening under heat although not actually fusing.

p E. A product which is infusible such that a splinter of' the material introduced into the flame of a Bunsen burner, for example, will burn slowl to form a charred mass without any indications of fusing.

Several of these products obtained bythe action. of alkali, strong or mild, for short 'or protracted periods, have been described in my prior pending applications and need not be detailed. here.

;: '-The product A considerably resembles Application filed May 9, 1922. Serial No. 559,610.

glycerine in its miscibility with water and alcohol and inits color and consistency.

The products B and C are generally speaking of a resinous character.

'The products D and E are moreakin to horn, .bone, ivory, tortoise shell and the like, that is they range from transparentor translucent bodies to those which are opaque, they are hard, dense and strong and insoluble and infusible.

These synthetic products D and E which resemble ivory, tortoise shell, bone, horn and the like form the special feature of the present invention.

. To make a product which will resist the action of water, both cold and hot, is a special object of the present invention.

The amorphous material may be obtained in a substantially infusible condition and yet spot or stain on contact with water. 'On boiling with water the material may turn white thus unfitting it for use in the production of buttons and similar articles which are frequently'subjected to the-action of Water.

I shall now describe how the amorphous material may be made resistant to water and in giving this description it is understood that the illustration. represents one detailed manner of procedure which is capable of various modifications- The illustrative description is given in great detail in order that the disclosure may contain every essential fact and complete Working information. This is of importance in dealing with complicatedorganic bodies capable of reacting to totally different com-' poundsthrough slight variation in working conditions.

Example: 20 pounds of acetone, 50 pounds of aqueous formaldehyde, 37% strength, and 5 pounds of sodium'carbonate were mixed and heated with stirring in a closed vessel equipped with a'i'eflux condenser. The operation was carried out at atmospheric pressure although it is possible to work under pressure above that of the atmosphere. It will b'e-notedthatin thisexample the molecular-"ratio of formaldehyde to acetone is 'abo'11t-2:1, the ratio given being believed'to be new in the art, and it produces very satisfactory results. As the reaction progressed the temperature rose well above the boil ing point of acetone and after being held dish product was observed. The stirring and heating was continued until substantially no more 'of the viscous material separated from the alkaline water. The reddish product was separated from the aqueous material and was found to be soft and readily flowable while warm, thickening somewhat whencold but still very soft and yielding to the touch. 29 pounds of this product was obtained and the sample on drying at about 100 0'. showed a loss of 25 per cent in water and other volatile matter. An ash determination showed 1% per cent mineral matter. The crude material was soluble in alcohol and in a mixture of alcohol and benzol.

To free this crude product from water soluble impurities and extraneous matter the material was boiled in water with live steam with several changes of water and then dried at a gentle heat. When dry it was no longer soft but in the form of light yellow lumps which were porous and could be crushed rather easily between thefingers. It was more soluble in alcohol than the undried material.

The next step was the introduction of a caustic alkali cat-alyzer to produce on further heating a water resistant infusible material. To this end the lumps obtained as above were dissolved in methyl alcohol wood alcohol). A low boiling solvent is esirable in order that the temperature during the drying may be kept low. This prevents undue action of the catalyzer which otherwise might convert the product-undergoing drying into an infusible state which coul not be readily molded. The solvent employed also shouldbe a solvent for caustic soda or caustic pot-ash. Acetone is not satisfactory for the purpose because it does not dissolve these caustic alkalies. The use of a solvent in this manner is for the purpose of distributing the catalyzer uniformly through the amorphous material. Other methods may be used to accomplish the same end, the present procedure being an illustrative one. Without such uniform distribution of the catalyzer the material would harden imperfectly during molding.

In the, present instance a 36 per cent solution of the resin in methyl alcohol was used and concentrated alcoholic potash was added to incorporate about 1 per cent of caustic potash based on the weight of the amorphous substance. The solution was then evaporated in a vacuum pan at 27 inches yielding a layer of the dried amorphous material which then possessed a reddish-color.

The material at this stage has the catalyzer uniformly distributed through it and is in condition to be converted'into an insoluble infusible mass resembling horn, bone, tortoise shell, ivory and kindred materials.

It is very sensitive to heat in the presence.

of sodium or potassium hydroxide so that v Quick molding is a very important desideratum. Fixed caustic alkali such as the hydroxides of sodium and potassium c0n-' stitute the only type of highly reactive catalyzer which may be used in small amounts and yet be-efi'ective. It is of course undesirable to have any large percent-age of an alkaline water-soluble substance present. Carbonates, bicarbonates, borates, phosphates etc., of sodium and potassium are not useful I in the final hardening operation. They may be used in the initial reaction between the ketone and the aldehyde butthey are greatly lacking in activity in comparison with the fixed caustic alkalies and hence; do not afford a product meeting the com mercial demands of quick molding. Ammonia and its carbonate are not of consequence as catalytic substances. In making this statement I do not wish to be limited to the exclusion of any of these compounds but wish to call attention to their comparative sluggishness 'or complete inertness in contrast with the fixed caustic alkalies which,

have a specific-catalytic action.

In fact the activity of fixed caustic alkali in the present composition is so much greater than other alkaline bodies as' togive the former a specific and almost exclusive applicability in hot press under the commercial requirements of quick molding. (While as stated milder alkalies may be used to produce the initial material, alkalies of the character of caustic potash and caustic soda and to a considerably lesser degree barium hydrate are the available ones for the final catalysis to an infusible water resistant product.

As stated one requirement in reference to the catalyzer is that it should be uniformly distributed. The secondis that the quantity should not be so great as to cause poor flowing in the mold due to premature setting and also to get a molded article containing free alkali in objectionable amount. Only enough catalyzer need be present to permit the material to flow in the mold to take the sharp edges and corners of the mold and then to quickly set to a mass suflicientlv infusible or hard at the molding temperapotash or caustic soda uniforml distributed through the amorphous materia is suflicient,

provided no extending materials are present or bodies such as organic acids, phenols etc.

absorbing alkali or changing caustic alkali to. carbonated alkali or other milder forms of alkali, Extending materials such as wood flour, having a neutralizing. efiect on the catalyzer, should not be usedwithout proper correction as by prior preparation of the extending material.

.While I have above referred to the use of caustic alkalies in the second or final stage,

- as the preferred catalyst, it is to be understood that in the first stage, the mild alka-' terial without the addition of other substances constitute the preferred feature of the invention.

The following will indicate results obtained on molding the vacuum dried amorphous material which" had been charged with 1 er cent of caustic potash.

A suitable quantity was placed in a inold and pressed first at 600 pounds and then at 1000- pounds pressure and at .a temperature of 330 F. (166 (3.), the total period 40 of pressing being 3 .minutes. The product was almost infusible, was of an amber color and was rather brittle. When boiled in water-the surface turned a yellowish white.

Another portion of the amorphous material was pressed 5 minutes under the same conditions of temperature and pressure yielding an amber coloredmolded article which was infusible. On boiling with water the surface was whitened only very slightly,-

in fact to such a small extent as to not be objectionable for many purposes.

Similar moldings were made for 10 minutes and 20 minutes respectively. These products were of a cloudy amber appearance and were entirely unaffected on protracted. boiling in water. Y

The hardness and strength increased with the duration of exposure in the hot press. The samples were tested with minerals ranlgling according to the scale of hard-.

ness, 't e 3 minute sample being readily scratched by selenite which is No. 2 in the scale of hardness. The 5 minute samplewhich was much lesggfi rittle than the previous one was not scratched by selenite but was scratched by calcite'which is'No. 3 in the scale. The 10 minute cure washard and strong and barely scratched by calcite. The 20 minute cure was" noticeably hard and strong and very little impression could be made on its sur a cc b either calcite or fluorite, the latter ing 0.4. It w'as'however scratched by apatlte w hich is No. 5 on the s'cale.

Buttons were molded using a 10 minute cure as aforesaid and these articles when boiled in soapy water did l'iot turn white or lose their surface finish.

Articles molded with a mold having a I smooth surface acquire a very attractive finish and by adding suitable dyes or colors to the amorphous m'terial or by mixin different colors attractive tints are obtaine or mottled and marbled efle'cts.

The products obtained hereunder are stained by strong acids such as concentrated hydrochloric acid which quite rapidly discolors the material cured 3 minutes but has lessstaining action on the 20 minute cure. Concentrated Strong caustic soda however does not have any corrosive action on the converted amorphous material. In fact when a piece of th amorphous material which had been given the 3 minute cure as above and which was whitened on boiling with water was boiled in a 20 per cent aqueous caustic soda solution whitening did not occur. It is probable .that this hot strong solution of caustic soda exerted an additional superficial cure (besides that produced in the hot molding step), which prevented any whitening action by the water present. A button which had been molded from the amorphous material and which had been given a'lO minutecure was quite-unaffected by boiling caustic soda. Hence while the material is discolored or attacked by strong acids it is not injured but may even be improved in quality by contact with caustic 'alkali solutions.

The material therefore may, be used to advantage in coating, im-. pregnatingor otherwise treating materials to render them resistantto caustic alkali orifor making containers for alkaline substances. V

For example. paper either sized or unsized or pasteboard', press board, beaver hioard or paperwhich has been treated with nine chloride as'i'n making hard fiber may be impregnated with a solution of the amorphous material which thus serves as a sizing or filler for the paper. ing the pores of" the paper and liberally -coating the surface the sheets may then be nitric and sulphuric acid;

blacken the surface.

By thoroughly fill-' hot pressed together to build up press board 1 of any desired thickness. maybe used. for various purposes as for example as insulation. -In a similar .manner can as or other textile material may Such material.

be filled with the amorphous material and sheets pressed together to build up a thick structure from which various products may be machined out as for example gears. Or vessels adapted for holding solutions may be pressed from such filled or impregnated sheets.

Of course in producing such press board it is understood that the amorphous material carries a suflicient quantity of catalyzer to readily harden and cement the sheets together. In order to render the textile material etc. substantially free from action on the catalyzer during the thermo-setting operation such textile material may be previously thoroughly washed or boiled with dilute caustic alkali solutions.

While the preferred embodiment is a thermo-rigid amorphous or colloidal solid which is hard, strong and water resistantanother modification involves the addition of various extending materials or bodies intended to modify the color, texture, surface, finish etc. Also substances may be added which render the amorphous material slower burning or quite incombust-ible. The amorphous material it may be stated is not inflammable like nitrocellulose but may be ignited when held in a strong flame and then may burn for a short time and die out. Or if a very thin film of the amorphous material is ignited it may burn completely. The addition of fire-proofing materials therefore may be made if desired. The armorphous material also may be incorporated with resins as for example the var ous natural resins or artificial or synthetic resins such as those made from phendl and formaldehyde, cumaron resin, aldol resin, acetylene and phenol resin, urea and formaldehyde. Fluxes such as camphor, tricresyl phosphate, aniline and the like maybe introduced. Extending bodies such as fibrous asbestos, asbestos owder, linters, v flock, wood flour'and the 11 e mav be added. It may be stated however that wood flour has a very peculiar action on the catalyzer, absorbing or neutralizing it so that wood flour mixtures with the amormateria phous material eventhough hot pressed for an extended period quite readil spot when moistened with water. Mineral various descriptions ma beuse especially those which are not 0 an acid character and do not absorb the catalyzer before it exert siits action on the amorphous material to biin about infusibility. An extending l not absorbing alkali until after the latter has exerted its catalytic action is desirable.

When the extending material is mixed with an alcoholic solution of the amorphous binder containing caustic alkali catalyzer there is great danger that the catalyzer may be neutralized in some manner orby exowders ofposure to the air will .become carbonated and practically inert for molding purposes.

To avoid reaction with the extendi material the amorphous body with its ca lyzer may be incorporated with the extending material on hot rolls or by grinding in ball mills. Casein, starch and the like may be introduced in some cases. For example an aqueous solution of casein in caustic soda 7 may be incorporated with the amorphous material at an earlier stage in its preparation and the alkali will then serve as a catalytic agent. Thusthe combined effect of galalith (casein formaldehyde compound) and the amorphous material may be obtained.

Mold lubricants such as paraflin or ceresin wax. carnauba wax and the like may be employed. Stearic acid which is frequent- By using a high percentage of caustic soda a product may be obtained which will set in the cold or on gently warming but such cold molded products do not have great strength and for insulating purposes would not possess the proper dielectric strength in many cases. Impregnation of the filling material with a caustic alkali solution and subsequent drying may be used in special applications. v

As previously noted too much catalyzer and impairing the activity will cause setting when the material is first D put in contact with a hot mold and the proportion of catalyzer should be adjusted with reference to the particular molding conditions in hand.

In practical operation a relationship may be soon established between the percentage of catalyzer and the molding periods demanded. High temperature and" longergreat other time of pressing will not necessitate so a content of catalytic material. On the hand high catalyzer content coupled withf low temperature and shorter time of moldin will 've good results.

'lhe la r cost and expense of maintenance of molds makes an imperative commercial demand for rapid molding.

To meet this requirement the highest percentage of catalyzer and highest co-ordinating temperature should be employed consistent with the production of a hardened material having an initially flowable character in themold.

In preparing the amorphous body I have V for the purpose.

acetone and, methyl particularly mentioned in mind employing ethyl ketone and I dlave ketones of this general character which are of In addition to these ali-.

resistance to moisture. I In place of: aqueous formaldehyde. paraform may-be used but hexamethylenetetramine is not well suited The same is true of aldehyde ammonia prepared from acetaldehyde and there are various ketones and aldehydes which are not capable of reaction to water resistant amorphous productsbut which may form water soluble bodies or those of a crystalline character which are not adapted for making'molded products of the character herein described and I do not lay claim to such compoundsbroadly but onlytoamorphous substances produced by treating a water-resistant hard, dense, impermea reactive drying ketone with a reactive aldehyde or its equivalent to yield-an amorphous materlal capable of hardening on-heating the a le substantially infusible or heat resistance pro 1 duct.

WhatIclaim is:- v

1. The process which comprises reacting on acetone and formaldehyde in the presence of an alkaline condensing a ant to produce "soluble amorphous materia washing and the mater1a1 and dissolving in a solvent, addmg an alkaline catalyzer, drying of alkali to form a suit..- able amorphous body having a desirableitroducin l0 and hot pressing for a form a water resistant, in article.

2. The process on a reactive ketone with the formaldehyde alkaline condensing agent to form a primary substance of an amorphous character, iny 5 strongly alkaline catalytic material an hot pressing for a period suificient to form a water resrstant, infusible, hard, strong article. J 3, n inTusible, water resistant, hard, strong, amorphous body prepared fromacetone and formadehyde and free from extending material.

period sufiicii'ent to sible, hard strong which comprises reacting an aldehyde of 4. A- process which comprises bringing 4 1 together a ketone, an aldehyde and a mil alkali capable of causing the same to react when 4 heated, amorphous bod separating the water from the latter, addmg a small percentage of a solid caustic alkaline material and thoroughly incorporating the matter, and thereafter molding under pressure in the absence. of fillers capable of combining with such caustic alkaline material.

series, the presence of an 5. An infusible, water-resistant, alkali resistant molded body, of relatively high strength, formed of a reaction product of an aldehyde of the acetone, a molecular ratio of about 2:1, such body being substantially free fromextending material and not readily combustible.

CARLETON ELLIS.

formaldehyde series and 7 thereby forming -a soluble. 

